Another Story About Potatoes
"Another Story About Potatoes" is the twenty-fourth chapter of Wayside School is Falling Down. Synopsis Joe forgets his lunch, so he has to try Miss Mush's potato salad. Plot This chapter opens with Joe in the lunch line, as he forgot his lunch. Joe walks up to Miss Mush and asks what she has. She has potato salad and nothing else. Mrs. Jewls made her throw away all the Mushroom Surprise, so all of that is out of the question, leaving only potato salad. Joe decides to order the potato salad, and he walks away. Sharie, who had also forgotten her lunch, is next in line. She asks if Miss Mush has anything other than the potato salad, and Miss Mush says she has nothing. Sharie decides to order nothing. It is revealed Joe is the only person who got the potato salad, and everyone else got nothing. Joe goes to the cash register, pays for his lunch, and walks to the ketchup and mustard table. Joe creates a decorative pattern of ketchup and mustard over his dull gray potato salad, impressing Bebe Gunn, who says he's a very good artist. Joe looks for somewhere to sit, when John calls him over. John is impressed by the colorful pattern Joe has created over his potato salad, and Joe thanks him. Meanwhile, Miss Mush calls for seconds. No one gets seconds of potato salad, but plenty of students go back for seconds of nothing. Unfortunately, soon enough Miss Mush runs out of nothing. John questions what the potato salad feels like, and Joe says it feels lumpy, gooey, and spongy as he mixes it. John remarks it looks kind of like a face, and Joe notices it too. Joe laughs, and decides to make it even more so. He piles up potato salad in the middle to make a nose, and John digs out two holes for eyes, and draws eyebrows as well. Joe gives it a smiling mouth, and John gives it pointed ears. The two laugh, wondering what it tastes like, when Joe notes it looks kind of familiar, like someone he knows. John agrees, when suddenly the smile on the potato salad turns to a scowl. John suddenly realizes who the potato salad looks like: Mrs. Gorf. Mrs. Gorf, as the potato salad laughs, and says that this time she'll finally get Joe and John, and starts to wiggle her ears. Joe quickly has John help with eating her, and the two work on wolfing down the potato salad as quickly as possible. When they finish, they decide it didn't taste too bad, and decide to go back for seconds. Characters *Joe *Miss Mush *Mrs. Jewls (mentioned) *Sharie *Bebe Gunn *John *Mrs. Gorf (as potato salad) Trivia *The title of this chapter references "Calvin's Big Decision," which is also about potatoes, and "Another Story About Socks." *Sharie being in line after Joe may be a reference to the chapter "Sharie," which immediately follows "Joe" in Sideways Stories from Wayside School. This is likely, however, just a coincidence. *This is the last physical appearance of Mrs. Gorf in the Wayside School books. Gallery Joe 1989.jpg|Joel Schick illustration Another Story About Potatoes 2003.jpg|Adam McCauley illustration Foreign editions Another Story About Potatoes Illustration.jpg|Peter Allen illustration (UK) Joe John Eating Another Story About Potatoes.jpg|Peter Allen second illustration (UK) Another Story About Potatoes Kitamura.png|Satoshi Kitamura illustraton (Japan) Category:Wayside School is Falling Down chapters Category:Book chapters